RobecoSAM: The Sustainability Yearbook 2018 (January 2018)

Their increasing popularity is helping foster a culture of scrutiny, transparency, and accountability in business and government.

Knowing how firms deploy assets is important but it is also useful to know how they deploy influence to shape public policy through activities like advocacy campaigns, think-tank funding, and legislative consulting.

Policy influencing activities, when principled, are essential for good policy-making. However, when abused, they bring reputational damage and engender distrust among customers and the wider public. Worse still, they can lead to gross economic inefficiencies, competitive disadvantages and economic misdevelopment if left unchecked.

Rates of change and pace of decision-making are accelerating.

This year has witnessed unprecedented changes in attitudes and actions across the globe. Some changes like de-carbonisation and energy transition leave us thrilled, others like geo-political developments, leave us concerned. Change can mean progress but, at times, setbacks